Matt of All Trades blog, like the title suggests, is by a Vermont author and offers offbeat musings on pop culture, media, journalism, humor, weirdness, stupid people, smart people, my life as a journalist, landscaper, photographer, married gay man, dog lover and weather geek and more. It's run by me, Matt Sutkoski, a native Vermonter living in St. Albans, Vt.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

3 Children Rescued From Florida Waves But Heartbreaking Circumstance

Dramatic video is circulating today as rescuers struggle to rescue three children from a minivan that authorities said was intentionally driven into high ocean surf in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Rescuers retrieve children from a minivan thatauthorities said was deliberately driven into the oceanin a possible murder/suicide attempt

As you'll see in the video at the bottom of this post, the rescuers managed to get the kids, ages, 3, 9, and 10 out, despite the van being tossed in the waves and nearly pushing the rescuers under the waves.

Television station WESH reported that the kids were screaming their pregnant woman was trying to kill them. She apparently deliberately drove into the ocean in what appeared to be a murder/suicide attempt, according to WESH.

During the rescue, witnesses said the mother was blank faced and didn't say a word. When the two older children were pulled from the van, they started screaming to the rescuers there was still a younger kid inside.

The mother never mentioned the third kid to the rescuers, said witnesses, but thankfully, since the kids screamed about the three year old inside, rescuers were able to return to the van and pull that kid out.

The kids, from South Carolina, were taken to a hospital to be checked out, then will probably be placed with relatives once background checks are complete, says WESH.

The woman was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation.

I just can't imagine a mental illness so bad that a mother would try to kill her kids like that. But it does happen, obviously.

According to a CNN article, post-partum depression can bring on psychosis, which leads a handful of mothers to kill their children. But in this Florida case, she hadn't had her latest baby yet.

In other cases, it's extreme depression, maybe combined with building pressure of some sort, personal or professional, or internal.

According to CNN:

The mothers might have "'borderline personality disorder a condition marked by impulsive behaviors and instability of moods and emotions,' said (clinical and forensic psychologist Paula) Bruce.People with this condition have unstable relationships because they go from one extreme to another, treating people with admiration and love, but then directing intense anger toward them.'Getting rid of the children is just about getting rid of her own pain, not about thinking about the children as separate from her,' she said."

Of course, the challenge is figuring out which mothers will kill their children before they try it. Most mothers, whether they are willing to admit it or not, have had killing their children cross their mind in their worst, most hectic and most tired moments.

That's actually normal, according to the experts. But almost all mothers never follow through, never harm their children and almost immediatly resume being the great parents they are.

But what do you do about the situation like what appears happened in Daytona Beach today.